How to keep your car clean and organised when you have kids

If your car is anything like mine, then it’s very much an extension of your home and most likely filled with kids colouring books, empty sweet wrappers and a heap of clothes and shoes (amongst other things).

In spite of religiously taking my trusty motor to be cleaned once a month, inevitably by the end of the first week ‘post clean’ it’s back to it’s usual grubby, unorganised state leaving me wondering how on earth it happens. I am definitely blaming the kids!

However, it doesn’t have to be this way and with just a little organisation and effort from you and your family, it is entirely possible to create a clean driving haven that you’ll be proud to get into. In fact, it’s almost as easy to keep you car clean and organized, as it is to get quick car insurance quotes online nowadays!

Here are five top tips to help turn your car from grimy to shiny:

If you bring it in, you take it out!

A simple tip for ensuring your car remains clothing and clutter free is to introduce the above rule and stick to it. My kids now know that if they insist on bringing all their soft toys with them for the journey, they won’t be allowed back into the house unless they bring them all out of the car again when we’ve returned.

It sounds harsh, but sticking to this mantra will help keep your car tidy and organised as well as teaching your children valuable lessons about responsibility.

The same rules apply to older kids, husbands, wives, partners…and even you!

Bag it up

Keep a good supply of empty plastic bags in the glove compartment. Use them in the following situations:

Put trash into

Wrap around wet umbrellas

Chuck muddy wellies into

When someone feels/is sick

Put soiled clothes into

Emergency kit

Fill a large plastic or metal box with a few in-car essentials, which can then be stored in the trunk or glove box. This could include antibacterial hand gel, safety pins, wet wipes, tissues, loose change for car parks and sun lotion. For more information on the importance of being safe in the sun, read here. This will avoid your car and handbag getting cluttered up and ensure you have a good stash of basic essentials to hand at all times.

Invest in a hand held vacuum cleaner

The secret to maintaining a spotless car is to clean just a little bit every day. A battery powered hand held vacuum cleaner makes it easy to give your vehicle a quick regular hoover.

You’ll find that by routinely spending 5 minutes hoovering every other day or so, you’ll very rarely need to spend hours doing it and it will become much less of a chore.

Clean up spills immediately

As all parents know it is inevitable that from time to time something will be spilled onto the interior of your car. Sippy cups tip over and coffee cups drip. Whilst it’s not the end of the world, if liquid spills aren’t cleaned up quickly the liquid will soak into the fabric resulting in stained, grubby looking upholstery and an unpleasant smell – milk is the worst for this.

Dab the spill with a damp cloth to absorb as much of the liquid as possible, spray a little upholstery cleaner onto the spill and then scrub it with a dry cloth or gentle scrubbing brush before finally rubbing gently with a damp wash cloth to soak away any residue.

The area should dry quickly without any lasting evidence or staining.

This article was written by Amanda Walters, an experienced freelance writer and regular contributor to Huffington Post. Follow her here: @Amanda_W84

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